Joseph Kamotho’s widow and children entangled in row over property

A property dispute has erupted in the family of former powerful Kanu-era minister Joseph Kamotho.

Kamotho's widow, Eunice Wambui, and her two eldest sons are pitted against other two family members - a son and a daughter.

The dispute before the High Court pits Nyokabi Kamotho, the only daughter of the late minister and Waweru Kamotho, the last born, against their mother and brothers James Mwai and Dr Charles Githii.

Mr Kamotho died at Milpark Hospital in South Africa in 2014, leaving behind property spread in Murang’a and Nairobi, and shares worth millions of shillings in firms listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).

In the latest twist to the row, power to Nyokabi’s house within her parents' compound in Kitusuru was switched off last Tuesday. Ms Nyokabi told The Standard that the move interrupted her child's studies and she lost all the food in the fridge.

The law firm of Musyimi and Associates had in a communication dated February 7 to the family warned Mrs Kamotho against evicting her daughter from the residence.

“Your actions are unwarranted and will only inflame the already frosty relations among the beneficiaries,” read part of the communication to the family.

Dr Githii downplayed the claims by his sister, saying the family was still recovering from their father's death.

He said the family's residence in Kitusuru belonged to their mother and the succession process was still pending in court.

“The truth is that the family of the late Kamotho is united but there are those out to cause anxiety while pursuing their personal interests," said DrGithii.

According to court papers, the family had agreed that Ms Nyokabi, Dr Githii and their mother be the administrators of the late Kamotho estate in a succession case filed at the Murang'a Chief Magistrate in 2019 which was later withdrawn on July 21, 2020.

Mrs Kamotho in a court application dated November 24,2020, to evict Nyokabi from the Kitusuru home, claimed that the daughter had been abusive.

The application was dismissed by a Milimani court on May 21, 2021, after a finding that it had not been established that her daughter had engaged in threats, intimidation and harassment.

The applicant did not produce WhatsApp, text messages or emails sent to her by the daughter.

“We have an issue on administration as sometime last year our father's car, a BMW saloon, was driven out of the garage and we only came to know about it when it was involved in a hit and run accident in Nairobi,” said Nyokabi.